Bracelet linkage with detachable pivotal connection



March 4, 1958 c. E. DANSEREAU 5,

BRACELET LINKAGE WITH DETACHABLE PIVQTAL CONNECTION Filed Nov. 29, 1954 Ma ena??- I j I awereaw M flag J United States Patent BRACELET LINKAGE WITH, DETACHABLE PIVOTAL CONNECTION Charles E. Dansereau, Cran'ston, R. L, assignor to El'gin- National Watch Company, Elgin, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application November-'29, 1954, Serial No. 471,735 3- Claims. (Cl. 59:19)

This invention relates to a linkage for use, for example, in expansion bracelets of the lazy-tong type and more particularly for interconnecting the overlapping ends of the bracelet links.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a linkage of the character described which will provide an improved pivotal connection for said overlapping ends secure against inadvertent or accidental displacement and facilitating the manufacture and assembly of the bracelet, which will afford flexibility between the pivotal-1y interconnected ends of the links to insure their maximum protection against the danger of distortion and mutilation caused by twisting forces exerted against the links during normal use of the bracelet, and which at the same time and without requiring dis-assembly or alteration of the link construction will provide for the ready and convenient separation of the interconnected ends when it is desired to remove or add links to vary the overall length of the bracelet or to repair or replace links.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a linkage of the character described which is of simple, compact and durable construction, easy and economical to manufacture and efiicient and reliable in operation.

In one aspect the invention involves a' bracelet of the lazy-tong type comprising links having pairs of overlapping ends and means pivotally interconnecting the ends of each pair, characterized in that certain of said means comprises an eyelet member in one end and a pin member in the other end of the pair,. the. pin'me'rnber being secured in the eyelet. member and one of the members being rotatably mounted .in its link.

In a preferred aspect the eyelet member is rotatably and rockably mounted in its link, the members being interconnected with a pressed. fit so that they can be separated when desired.

In a more specific aspect, an aperture is provided in one end of the pair of overlapping ends and a split eyelet member is mounted between its ends in said aperture, the ends of the eyelet having outwardly turned flanges and the intermediate portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the aperture so that the eyelet is mounted for rotational and rocking movement in the aperture. An aperture is also provided in the other end of said pair of overlapping ends and the pin member has a reduced end which extends through said aperture and is fixedly mounted to said other end. The remainder of the pin member preferably gradually flares outwardly from its reduced end toward its opposite end.

For the purposes of illustration, a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a lazy-tong type expansion bracelet embodying the present invention and with the links in partially expanded position;

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2--2 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the link of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section along the line 55 of Fig. 1; and

2,825,201 Patented Mar. 4, 1958 ice 5 type comprising a plurality of fiat substantially rectangular shaped upper links 2 (Fig. 2) preferably stamped out from sheet metal and a plurality of fiat substantially Z- shaped lower links 3 (Fig. 3) similarly stamped out from sheet metal and which links are provided with central apertures 4 and 5 respectively and are pivotally connected together in pairs by suitable means here shown as tubular eyelets 6 engaged through said apertures. (Fig.

5). The ends of each pair of upper and lower pivoted links are disposed in overlapping relation to the ends of the lower and upper pivoted links respectively of the next adjacent pair of pivoted links, whereby the links have pairs of overlapping ends as shown in Fig. 1 comprising in each case one end of an upper link 2 and one end of a lower link 3. p I

I At each pair of overlapping ends the link 2 is provided with an aperture 7 and a splittubular eyelet member 8, having outwardly turned flanges 9 at its ends and a reduced portion 10 intermediate its ends of less diameter than the, diameter of the aperture 7, is mounted intermediate" its ends, in the aperture so that it can freely rotate and rock while confined within the aperture.

Further, at each pair of overlapping ends, the link 3 is provided with an aperturelS through which extends a reduced portion 17 provided at one end of a pin member 16, the reduced portion being fixedly mounted to the link 3 in a suitable manner as by welding, threading, upsetting or the like and here shown, by way of; example, by peening to forma head 18 which engages the outer face of the link. The remainder of the pin is of substantially the same length as the tubular eyelet member 8 and is of slightly greater diameter than the internal diameter of the eyelet member. themodified embodiment of Fig. 6, the remainder of the pin preferably gradually flares outwardly from the reduced portion 17 toward its opposite end, said opposite end portion of the pin being of slightly greater diameter'than the internal diameter of the eyelet member. 1 w h w h p g Y N The pin extendsinto the eyelet until the adjacent flange 9 of the eyelet engages the inner face of the link 3, the split in the eyelet permitting the eyelet wall resiliently to expand to accommodate the pin,- whereby the members are interconnected with a pressed fit which will securely interconnect the members against accidental or inadvertent displacement but which will permit ready withdrawal and separation of the pin from the eyelet when desired;

When the eyelet is yieldingly expanded as aforesaid theouter diameter of the intermediate portion of the'eyelet is still less. than the diameter of the aperture 7 so, that the eyelet is still free to rotate and rock within the aperture, whereby the pair of overlapping ends of the links are pivotally interconnected and can rock relative to each other to absorb the twisting forces exerted on the links during normal use of the bracelet.

For ornamentation and to conceal the working parts of the linkage the upper and lower links 2 and 3 are provided with ornamental shells 20 and 21, respectively, of suitable ornamented sheet metal disposed over the outer faces of the links and mounted to the links by suitable means as spaced projecting lugs 22 formed at the side walls of the shells and which are bent over the inner faces of the links and engaged in recesses 23 formed in the side edges of said links (Figs. 2 and 3).

To provide the necessary resilient force normally to o maintain each pair of pivoted links 2 and 3 in contracted ing outwardly from the eyelet in opposite directions and with the end 25 anchored beneath a struckup lug 27 provided on the outer face of the link 2 (Fig. 5) and the end 26 hearing against the inner face of the side wall of the shell 21 mounted on the link 3. 7

From the foregoing it is to be understood that, with each pair of upper and lower links pivotally interconnected at their centers, with the outer shells mounted on the links and with the spring 24 operatively mounted as aforesaid, to complete the assembling of the bracelet it is necessary only to bring the ends of the upper and lower links of each pair of pivoted links into overlapping relationship with the ends of the, lower and upper links respectively of the next adjacent pair and thereafter, at each pair of overlapping ends, to press the pin into press fit engagement in the eyelet, thereby to pivotally interconnect the overlapping ends of the links.

To separate the overlapping ends of a pair or pairs of pivoted links for the purpose, for example, of removing or adding one or more pairs to vary the overall length of the bracelet or to repair or replace one or more pairs, it is only necessary to pull the overlapping ends apart, thereby to withdraw the pins from the eyelets without requiring disassembly or alteration of any other parts of the pivoted links.

While in the foregoing typical embodiment of the invention above described each pair of overlapping ends of the pairs of pivoted links throughout the, length of the bracelet are separable, said pairs of overlapping ends may, according to the present invention, be separable only at spaced intervals longitudinally of the bracelet so that the pairs of pivoted links may be removed only in groups and not in single pairs.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bracelet of the lazy-tong type comprising links having pairs of overlapping ends, means pivotally interconnecting the ends of each pair and covers mounted on the outer faces of the links and concealing said means, characterized in that certain of said means comprises an eyelet member in one end and a pin member in the other end of the pair, the pin member being secured in the eyelet member and the eyelet member being rotatably and rockably mounted in its link, the pin member being sufiiciently smooth so that it may be inserted into the eyelet member by axial sliding motion, one of the members being radially resilient and the outside diameter of the pin member being slightly larger than the inside diameter of the eyelet member so that the members wedge together with a tight resilient fit, whereby with the links in contracted position the members can be separated though inaccessible from outside of the covers.

2. A bracelet of the lazy-tong type comprising links 1 having'pairs of overlapping ends, means pivotally interconnecting the ends of each pair and covers mounted on the outer faces of the links and concealing said means, characterized in that certain of said means comprises an aperture in one end of the pair and a split eyelet member mounted intermediate its ends in said aperture, and a pin member fixedly mounted in the other end of the pair, the pin member being sufficiently smooth so that it may be inserted into the eyelet member by axial sliding motion, the ends of the eyelet having outwardly turned flanges and the intermediate portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the aperture so that the eyelet is mounted for rotational and rocking movement in the aperture, the outside diameter of the pin member being slightly larger than the inside diameter of the split eyelet member so that the members wedge together with a tight resilient fit, whereby with the links in contracted position the ,members can be separated though inaccessible from outside of the covers.

3. A bracelet of the lazy-tong type comprising links having pairs of overlapping ends, means pivotally interconnecting the ends of each pair and covers mounted on the outer faces of the links and concealing said means, characterized in that certain of said means comprise an eyelet member in one end of the pair, an aperture in the other end of the pair and a pin member having a reduced end extending through said aperture and fixedly mounted to said-other end of the pair, the remainder of the pin member gradually flaring outwardly from its re duced end toward its opposite end and being secured in the eyelet member, the eyelet member being rotatably and rockably mounted in its link, the pin member being sufficiently smooth so that it may be inserted into the eyelet member by axial sliding motion, one of the members being radially resilient and the outside diameter of the pin member being slightly larger than the inside diameter of the eyelet member so that the members wedge together with a tight resilient fit, whereby the members can be separated though inaccessible from outside of the covers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 447,692 Magerhams Mar. 3, 1891 636,148 Kenyon Oct. 31, 1899 735,655 Bradley Aug. 4,1903 870,077 Bennett Nov. 5, 1907 1,831,163 Crowell Nov. 10, 1931 2,249,086 MacIntosh July 15, 1941 2,709,318 Benjamin May 31, 1955 2,719,063 Dearlove Sept. 27, 1955 2,761,414 Herrick Sept. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 287,957 Switzerland Apr. 16, 1953 

